Advent Calendar
by Cleo the Muse
Summary: The AO Happy Place Advent Calendar challenge, in which each day of December until Christmas, a new door is opened on the Advent calendar, and a picture prompt revealed. Standalone drabbles, all gen except one with mild JackSara. COMPLETE
1. December 1st: Candle

**December 1st - Candle** by Cleo the Muse  
All Ages  
Gen, Drabble, Holiday (Christmas), Humor  
Warnings: None  
Episodes: None  
Synopsis: The AO Happy Place Advent Calendar challenge, in which each day of December (until Christmas), a new door is opened on the Advent calendar, and a picture prompt revealed.  
Word count: 100  
Status: Completed as of December 1, 2007

* * *

**December 1st - Candle**

"Well, I learned MY lesson," Jack O'Neill drawled, flicking his beer cap at the trash can and propping his feet up on the coffee table.

"It couldn't have been THAT bad," replied Daniel Jackson, thick eyebrows scrunching together. "I mean, it's Teal'c."

Jack blew out a breath. "Yee-ah! It's Teal'c."

"So..."

"So?"

Daniel rolled his eyes. "Okay, so what happened when you took Teal'c Christmas shopping?"

Jack snorted. "Well, we were in the mall and everything was going just fine, but that's when Teal'c discovered the Yankee Candle store. So guess what everyone's getting for Christmas?"

"Scented candles?"

"You bet."

* * *

Author's Notes:  
Now, there are no guarantees I'll be able to write a drabble for every day, but I'll do my durndest! 


	2. December 2nd: Nativity

**December 2nd - Nativity** by Cleo the Muse  
All Ages  
Gen, Drabble, Holiday (Christmas)  
Warnings: Might induce a sniffle  
Episodes: Takes place in season six  
Synopsis: The AO Happy Place Advent Calendar challenge, in which each day of December (until Christmas), a new door is opened on the Advent calendar, and a picture prompt revealed.  
Word count: 300  
Status: Completed as of December 2, 2007

* * *

**December 2nd - Nativity**

The children's Christmas play--put on by a local youth center--was an annual SG-1 team event. Cassandra Frasier was a frequent visitor there, as that's where she'd taken to spending her afternoons when Janet couldn't pick her up from school. Her first year, Cassie played a sheep, then a shepherd two years in a row. This time, at a lovely sixteen, Cassie had been chosen to be the lead angel.

Jack shifted in his chair, casting a glance over at the rest of his team. Teal'c, as always, was transfixed by the figures on stage, lips curving softly into a smile when a child would stumble over lines or the "choir of angels" hit a sour note. Past Teal'c was Carter, but the major wasn't as focused on the play as the Jaffa. Instead, she was leaning toward their new fourth, Jonas Quinn, quietly explaining the significance of the story much as Daniel had done for Teal'c that first year.

Daniel...

Daniel would have loved to see Cassie playing the lead angel.

Finally, the children's choir finished their song and a hush fell over the room. It was time for the angel to appear.

A single bright spotlight came up, illuminating Cassie. She stood atop the specially-made perch in the stable set, looking simply radiant as the angel. Her long brown hair cascaded over her shoulders, and the gentle drape of her robe's fabric accentuated her slender figure. The wings she and Janet and Carter had painstakingly assembled looked magnificent, but there was something else different about this year's angel: she actually _glowed_.

At first Jack thought it a trick of the light, but when a gust of air swept through the auditorium just before the angel began to speak, Jack knew.

Daniel hadn't missed the play after all.

* * *

Author's Notes:  
Yep, it's true... the Muse wanders where she will... 


	3. December 3rd: Robin

**December 3rd - Robin** by Cleo the Muse  
All Ages  
Gen, Drabble, Holiday (Christmas)  
Warnings: None  
Episodes: Season ten, but no spoilers.  
Synopsis: The AO Happy Place Advent Calendar challenge, in which each day of December (until Christmas), a new door is opened on the Advent calendar, and a picture prompt revealed.  
Word count: 100  
Status: Completed as of December 3, 2007

* * *

**December 3rd - Robin**

"Well, it's not a partridge in a pear tree, but I reckon it's festive enough," Cameron quipped, gesturing at the thorny bush in which a happily chirping robin was perched.

"Maybe it's one of the four calling birds," Sam suggested cheekily.

Daniel shrugged. "Actually, the original line is _colly_ birds--meaning 'coal-like'. It probably referred to blackbirds or ravens. 'In a pear tree' is thought to have been _une perdrix_, which is French for 'a partridge'."

"To-may-to, to-mah-to," Vala grinned, sharing a "the Tau'ri are _so_ strange" glance with an equally-amused Teal'c. "I just want the five golden rings."

* * *

Author's Notes:  
She would. 


	4. December 4th: Snowman

**December 4th - Snowman** by Cleo the Muse  
All Ages  
Gen, Drabble, Holiday (Christmas), Humor  
Warnings: None  
Episodes: None  
Synopsis: The AO Happy Place Advent Calendar challenge, in which each day of December (until Christmas), a new door is opened on the Advent calendar, and a picture prompt revealed.  
Word count: 200  
Status: Completed as of December 4, 2007

* * *

**December 4th - Snowman**

There was nothing as humiliating as a giggling major.

Scratch that: a giggling major _and_ a guffawing archaeologist. The amused Jaffa quirking an eyebrow at him did nothing to lessen the embarrassment Jack O'Neill was being forced to endure as a result of his teammates taking such delight in his predicament.

He'd tripped, stumbled, fallen, and rolled down the hill. Nowhere in any of that did he see anything which could inspire so much good humor in the three who stood before him.

The two scientists' knees quivered as they gave into their mirth. "It was like that scene from _Willow!_" Sam gasped, clutching onto Daniel as though the equally-giddy linguist would be able to keep her from falling. "Where Madmartigan falls off the sled and comes tumbling down the mountain side?"

Jack indignantly put his hands on his hips--or at least he would have if he could have _reached _his hips. "Well, I'm glad you kids find this amusing."

Teal'c inclined his head gracefully before stepping forward to begin chipping the snow away from Jack's body. "I believe I now understand the concept of a 'snowman', O'Neill."

Behind him, Daniel and Sam erupted in fresh howls of laughter.

* * *

Author's Notes:  
//evil grin// I love picking on Jack... 


	5. December 5th: Snowflake

**December 5th - Snowflake** by Cleo the Muse  
All Ages  
Gen, Drabble, Holiday (Christmas)  
Warnings: None  
Episodes: Season one.  
Synopsis: The AO Happy Place Advent Calendar challenge, in which each day of December (until Christmas), a new door is opened on the Advent calendar, and a picture prompt revealed.  
Word count: 200  
Status: Completed as of December 5, 2007

* * *

**December 5th - Snowflake**

Teal'c took a moment to breathe the crisp winter air, reveling in the freedom of the act. The air of Colorado was not nearly as pure as that of Chulak, but refreshing nonetheless. Even this high on Cheyenne Mountain, one could smell the exhaust fumes produced by the Tau'ri's preferred mode of transportation. Still, the atmosphere felt lighter than did Chulak's, as there was no weight of oppression nor fear that any moment could bring the wrath of a god down upon unsuspecting innocents.

Not a god, he reminded himself, but a false god.

He watched in fascination as a snowflake fell from the night sky, only to vanish upon striking the ground. It suddenly occurred to him that achieving ultimate victory over the Goa'uld could not be accomplished with isolated acts of individuals. The Jaffa would need rise up in force if they were to win their own freedom. A single snowflake brought little change, but thousands upon thousands of snowflakes could change _everything_.

"Yo, Teal'c! You just going to stand there?"

Shaking his head, Teal'c crossed the parking lot to his friends, indicating his readiness to join them in their intended holiday revelry. They had much to celebrate.

* * *

Author's Notes:  
...Thus Teal'c's dream of a Jaffa Rebellion truly begins! 


	6. December 6th: Holly Wreath

**December 6th - Holly Wreath** by Cleo the Muse  
All Ages  
Gen, Drabble, Holiday (Christmas), Humor  
Warnings: Gratuitous whumpage  
Episodes: Season seven  
Synopsis: The AO Happy Place Advent Calendar challenge, in which each day of December (until Christmas), a new door is opened on the Advent calendar, and a picture prompt revealed.  
Word count: 500  
Status: Completed as of December 6, 2007

* * *

**December 6th - Holly Wreath**

Jack had always loved Christmas, and considered it to be by _far_ the best time of year. The year after Charlie died and Sara left, he didn't celebrate the day at all, but the following year, he bought a few strands of bright lights to string up around the roofline of his house. The year after that, he added a few more to wrap around the porch posts and line the deck rail. Every year thereafter, the O'Neill residence got brighter and more extravagant.

The Christmas after Daniel came back, Jack decided to go all-out and purchase the gaudiest plastic figures he could find, figuring he could make his house look almost as festive by day as it did by night. The giant candy canes went in the front yard and the cheap-looking holly wreath hung on a nail above the bedroom windows, but to get the rest situated where he wanted them, Jack had to call in help. Grumbling good-naturedly, Daniel came over, and the duo soon began wrestling the illuminated Santa, sleigh, and octet of reindeer onto the roof.

All went well until Jack's rickety old ladder decided to call it quits.

Daniel, standing on the roof, made a grab for Jack just as the colonel lunged for the gutter. In doing so, the archaeologist accidentally kicked one of the ropes they were using to lash down the sleigh, dislodging a plastic reindeer. Bent over to try to help his friend to safety, he never saw the oncoming figure until it was too late.

Eight pounds of garishly-painted plastic reindeer might not seem like much, but it was more than sufficient to knock an already-off-balance Daniel over the roof's edge. He reflexively grabbed for the gutter as Jack had done, but unlike his friend, he missed. Instead, his fingers wrapped around a strand of Christmas lights, which were not designed to support anywhere near the weight of a muscular, six-foot tall man. The overstressed wire snapped and sent him swinging across the front of the house like a Christmas Tarzan.

Or, more accurately, George of the Jungle.

One of Jack's decorative bushes brought an end to the arc described by the falling archaeologist, cushioning his landing so that he thankfully wasn't too badly hurt. The damage to the shrubbery was more severe, but Jack--who had let go of the gutter and dropped to the ground--was just thankful his friend escaped from the accident with only bruises and scrapes.

"Daniel got run over by a reindeer," he commented cheekily, reaching in to help the younger man try to squirm out of the broken bushes.

"Shut up, Jack," Daniel muttered, his pride wounded more than the rest of him.

The malevolent Christmas decorations weren't finished yet, and before either man could react, a gust of wind finished loosening the cheap plastic holly wreath from its precarious perch and sent it hurtling downward atop the surprised colonel.

Daniel smirked. "Deck the Jack with boughs of holly..."

"Shut up, Daniel."

* * *

Author's Notes:  
Now let's just hope they don't trip over any of the giant candy canes on their way back in the house! 


	7. December 7th: Sled

**December 7th - Sled** by Cleo the Muse  
All Ages  
Gen, Drabble, Holiday (Christmas)  
Warnings: None  
Episodes: None  
Synopsis: The AO Happy Place Advent Calendar challenge, in which each day of December (until Christmas), a new door is opened on the Advent calendar, and a picture prompt revealed.  
Word count: 300  
Status: Completed as of December 7, 2007

* * *

**December 7th - Sled**

"Come on, kids... you're only young once." As expected, Jack's pronouncement was met with groans of dismay from his teammates. "Besides, I figure we have about ten minutes before somebody comes looking for us."

Daniel eyed the bright red Radio Flyer skeptically. "On _that?_" He pointedly raised a hand to shield his eyes as he looked _way_ down the snowy hill. "That's a long way down, Jack."

"It won't take long to get there," Jack promised, giving the sled's reins a flap. "Oh, come on, Daniel! I bet _you _never went sledding as a kid, did ya, Carter?"

"Not very many snowy hills in Florida and southern California, sir," Sam answered. Her inner speed-demon was clearly excited about the prospect of seeing how fast the sled would go. "This looks like a lot of fun."

"Teal'c?"

"Jaffa children do not have a similar recreational activity," Teal'c answered at length. "I agree with Major Carter, however, and I am willing to give it a bullet."

Jack grinned. "That's 'give it a shot', T. Well? That just leaves you, Daniel... and we're not getting any younger, you know." On cue, Sam and Daniel groaned again.

"C'mon, Daniel," Sam begged.

Outnumbered, the archaeologist threw his hands in the air. "Okay! Just remember that it's _your_ fault if I end up smeared across the field down there, Jack."

"All right!" the colonel cheered. "Okay, kids, I'll go first. Carter, you're next, then Daniel, and finally Teal'c. "

As predicted, someone _did _come looking for the team within ten minutes: General Hammond himself. He was entirely unprepared for the sight of his premier team taking advantage of their now child-sized bodies to cram onto a single sled and brave the southern slope of Cheyenne Mountain. Their youthful shrieks of joy were music to his ears.

* * *

Author's Notes:  
'Course in my family, we slid down hills on inner tubes... THAT was fun! 

And YAAAAAY!!! Finals are over!!!


	8. December 8th: The Three Wise Men

**December 8th - The Three Wise Men** by Cleo the Muse  
All Ages  
Gen, Drabble, Holiday (Christmas)  
Warnings: None  
Episodes: None  
Synopsis: The AO Happy Place Advent Calendar challenge, in which each day of December (until Christmas), a new door is opened on the Advent calendar, and a picture prompt revealed.  
Word count: 400  
Status: Completed as of December 8, 2007

* * *

**December 8th - The Three Wise Men**

The team walked into the scene of a disaster, and to Sam's utter dismay, the Abbess and her Sisters looked to _her_ to help them. Only hours before SG-1's arrival on the snowy planet, a band of ruffians had raided the small village surrounding the abbey, injuring any who resisted and stealing all the food and gifts the people had laid out for their holiday celebrations. The abbey had been spared from harm, and the Sisters had opened their doors wide to aid the injured and share their own food supplies with the villagers. The Abbess herself had personally asked Sam to help with food preparation.

Blushing, Sam admitted that she wasn't much of a cook. Undaunted, the head nun suggested she could help keep the children of the village entertained while the adults worked to put the town back in order. Just as Sam opened her mouth to explain that her experience with children was limited to her nieces and Cassie, Colonel O'Neill laid a hand on her shoulder.

"Carter here's our team medic," he explained. "Her skills would be better utilized helping the wounded. I'll help keep the kids in line." The colonel was great with kids, and would certainly be able to keep them entertained.

"And I'll help with the food," Daniel chimed in, stepping up beside Sam. "I'm a decent cook."

Decent _hell_. Ever since the colonel discovered what Daniel could do with a few spices, he'd been the team's designated cook. Years of preparing meals on remote digs had taught the archaeologist how to make even MREs tasty.

"I will offer my assistance to those attempting repairs," added Teal'c, joining the rest of the team. The village headman gave him an appreciative smile.

They split off on their appointed tasks, and were kept busy by the nuns and villagers the rest of the afternoon. When they were finally reunited close to nightfall, Teal'c was looking immensely pleased with himself, Daniel was rattling about the significance of finding a pre-Schism Christian culture off-world, and the colonel had that light-hearted glow that came from getting to spend time with kids.

After the meal, the Sisters began relating a story it took Sam long moments to recognize as the Epiphany: when the Magi traveled to Jerusalem to see the baby Jesus.

Smiling, Sam looked around at her team. She had three rather wise men traveling with her, too.

* * *

Author's Notes:  
...Except when they're being "wise guys"! 


	9. December 9th: Snow Globe

**December 9th - Snow Globe** by Cleo the Muse  
All Ages  
Gen, Drabble, Holiday (Christmas)  
Warnings: None  
Episodes: Brief mention of the events of "The Shroud".  
Synopsis: The AO Happy Place Advent Calendar challenge, in which each day of December (until Christmas), a new door is opened on the Advent calendar, and a picture prompt revealed.  
Word count: 400  
Status: Completed as of December 9, 2007

* * *

**December 9th - Snow Globe**

"Wow," Daniel muttered, his breath fogging out before him in the chilly air. In the valley below was the little village the team was heading to visit. The houses were blanketed in snow, but the fluffy smoke which curled out of their chimneys made them look cozy and inviting.

"It looks like a Currier and Ives," agreed Sam.

Vala looked back and forth between her teammates. "What and what?"

"Who and who," corrected Cam, blowing on his fingertips to warm them. "Currier and Ives were printers."

"You may have seen their work on Christmas cards," added Teal'c. "The flavored-popcorn tin in the mess hall has a winter scene from Currier and Ives around its circumference."

Vala gasped delightedly, licking her lips as she recalled the flavor of the caramel popcorn she liked so well. "Oh, I see what you mean! Yes, Samantha, it does indeed look like... a Currier and Ives."

Daniel shrugged. "I though it looked like something from a snow globe." At Vala's questioning glance, he hastened to explain. "It's a glass ball filled with water," he began, demonstrating the approximate size with his hands. "They usually have little figurines glued to the base, like pine trees or snowmen or..." He waved his hand at the town.

"Idyllic little villages?" suggested Cam.

"Idyllic?" Daniel repeated. "Have you been playing Scrabble with Teal'c again?"

"No, with Sam!"

The blond-haired colonel adopted a look of feigned innocence. "You left the 'L' wide open! It was pure luck my 'Y' landed on a Double Letter and the 'C' on the Triple Word Score."

"For fifty-one friggin' points," Cam muttered.

"Go Sam," Daniel grinned.

"Nicely done," Vala agreed. "So, anyway... if it's filled with water, why's it called a 'snow' globe?"

"Well, there are these little white flakes in the water," Daniel replied, "and when you give the globe a good shake--" he demonstrated, holding an imaginary snow globe in his hands "--then the white flakes get dispersed and start falling back to the bottom like it's snowing."

Right on cue, the overcast skies proceeded to dump their own collection of fluffy white flakes upon the explorers and the town nestled into the valley below them.

Cam clapped Daniel on the shoulder. "I thought you said all those freaky super Prior powers were gone, Jackson."

Daniel glared up at the sky. "It's just a coincidence, I swear."

* * *

Author's Notes:  
My favorite moments in "Camelot" are when Daniel twice said "there's no such thing as magic" just before being beamed up to an orbiting ship! 


	10. December 10th: Christmas Pudding

**December 10th - Christmas Pudding** by Cleo the Muse  
All Ages  
Gen, Drabble, Holiday (Christmas), Humor  
Warnings: None  
Episodes: None  
Synopsis: The AO Happy Place Advent Calendar challenge, in which each day of December (until Christmas), a new door is opened on the Advent calendar, and a picture prompt revealed.  
Word count: 100  
Status: Completed as of December 10, 2007

* * *

**December 10th - Christmas Pudding**

"Fruitcake? The doc asks you to bring something for her Christmas party, and you're making _fruitcake_?"

Daniel sighed and gave the colonel a patient stare. "_Not_ fruitcake, Jack, it's a Christmas pudding."

Jack poked at one of the bowls on the kitchen counter. "Doesn't look like any pudding _I've_ ever seen."

"It's an English recipe, Jack, and what they call pudding isn't anything like what Americans call pudding."

"It has carrots in it. Who puts carrots in fruitcake?"

Exasperated, Daniel grabbed Jack by the collar of his shirt and began to pull him out of the kitchen. "_You're_ the fruitcake!"

* * *

Author's Notes:  
Yep... that'd be another one of those things "lost in translation" across the Pond. 


	11. December 11th: Carolers

**December 11th - Carolers **by Cleo the Muse  
All Ages  
Gen, Drabble, Holiday (Christmas), Kidfic (Little Danny)  
Warnings: None  
Episodes: Pre-series  
Synopsis: The AO Happy Place Advent Calendar challenge, in which each day of December (until Christmas), a new door is opened on the Advent calendar, and a picture prompt revealed.  
Word count: 800  
Status: Completed as of December 11, 2007

* * *

**December 11th - Carolers**

Ice crystals collected on the double-paned window, threatening to obscure the little boy's view of the wintry scene outside the house. For a child born and raised in the sands of Egypt, the sight of snow was as frightening as it was magical, drawing his eyes to the pristine beauty even as the knowledge of the cold air just beyond the glass drove him beneath a sweater and a thick wool blanket. The hand not clutching the blanket around his shoulders rested on the sill, as though hesitant to reach out and touch the world beyond the window.

Sister Agnes had always been willing to give the youngster the space he craved, but this close to Christmas--a holiday with which he had little experience or understanding--she felt drastic measures were to be taken. Young Daniel Jackson was far too fragile to be forced into anything, but the nun felt certain she could coax the boy into opening up just a little. He was far too serious for an eight year-old boy, and hadn't spoken much more than a dozen words in the three months since he was left at the orphanage by his grandfather.

"Daniel? Would you like to help me with something, please?"

Startled, the blond-haired boy turned around and blinked up at Sister Agnes. His eyebrows lifted in inquiry as his free hand stole upward to push the bridge of his glasses into place.

"Sister Helen and I want to teach the other children to sing Christmas carols," she began, "and since you read so well, I thought maybe you could stand by the piano and turn pages for me." Seeing the boy's hesitation, she hastened to amend, "Just follow along with the words as they sing them, and turn the page when we get there. Can you do that?"

After a moment, Daniel nodded, sliding off the chair he'd been crouched in and padding across the floor in his socked feet. Smiling inwardly at her small victory--Daniel was at least participating in something instead of letting the activity pass him by--Sister Agnes led him into the music room, settling herself behind the piano. She began to warm up with a few practice scales, noting out of the corner of her eye how Daniel watched her fingers fly over the keys.

Finally, Sister Helen shooed in the last of the children and passed out small music books to each. Her eyebrows rose when she noted Daniel standing next to the piano, but wisely said nothing after Sister Agnes shook her head. Together, the two nuns ran the children through a few vocal exercises, then started the first piece in the book. Daniel dutifully kept his eyes on the lyrics on the page, turning when the children reached the end of the last line.

Only once did Sister Agnes have to turn the page herself, but that was to play a refrain which repeated across the page. She knew a brilliant mind lay behind those soft blue eyes, and had her theory proven when, in another song, he recognized the two dots on the staff as a repeat and turned the page back himself. She began to wonder if perhaps he had already been given music lessons at one point in his young life when he turned the page in a section without lyrics.

Or maybe he just realized that where the pitch of notes went up, so did the notes on the page. He was a sharp boy, and clearly gifted with an ear for music. The children's choir wasn't about to win any prizes, and at times when a note was mangled by the young voices, Daniel would almost-imperceptibly wince.

Close to the end of the set, the doorbell rang, and Sister Helen stopped directing to answer it. Moments later, the sound of singing drifted through the open music room door, and the nun quickly asked the children to come listen. Shooing the boys and girls to the front door, Sister Agnes motioned for Daniel to follow, and after one last glance at the piano and open music book, he complied.

A small adult choir stood out in the snow at the foot of the porch steps, dressed in Victorian garb. They were singing a Christmas carol in four-part harmony, filling the chilly air with the beauty of their song. When Sister Agnes dared to glance down at the boy at her side, she noted he had forgotten the cold and was mesmerized by the music being made before his eyes.

Bending on one knee, Sister Agnes leaned close to her young charge. "Would you like me to teach you to play the piano, Daniel?"

Wide, bright eyes turned to look at her. "Yes, please," he answered softly.

* * *

Author's Notes:  
As Daniel picks up a new language: music. (And is proven by both "Urgo" and "The Sentinel", Daniel can sing AND has an excellent musical ear... like we needed another reason to love the guy, right?) 


	12. December 12th: Ornaments and Tinsel

**December 12th - Ornaments and Tinsel **by Cleo the Muse  
All Ages  
Gen, Drabble, Holiday (Christmas), Humor, POV (Jack)  
Warnings: None  
Episodes: Season two, brief mention of a comment later made by Carter in season six's "Forsaken"  
Synopsis: The AO Happy Place Advent Calendar challenge, in which each day of December (until Christmas), a new door is opened on the Advent calendar, and a picture prompt revealed.  
Word count: 400  
Status: Completed as of December 12, 2007

* * *

**December 12th - Ornaments and Tinsel**

Well, we all learned an important lesson this week, one which will no doubt serve us well in the years ahead: never decorate a Christmas tree while drunk.

It seemed a good idea at the time, seeing as how we had just been sprung from the infirmary after two weeks' captivity on a stinking mudhole of a planet, plus three days in isolation to make sure we hadn't caught the swamp fever the locals warned us about when we first got there. The unintended extra two weeks on that planet put a crimp in our holiday schedules, leaving us with barely a week to finish shopping, decorating, and whatever else we wanted to do before the big day.

Rather than putting up three different trees, I invited the kids over to my place to celebrate our escape and continued health, and to decorate the house a bit. Teal'c rode with me, and insisted on stopping to pick up a meat tray at a local deli on our way. Carter and Daniel came over a little later, bearing gifts in the form of food, too. Daniel brought a pecan pie, and Carter showed up with her famous Three Cheese Soufflé.

I have to hand it to her: she _does_ make one mean soufflé.

Anyhow, as host of the party, I supplied the bread and beverages. Teal'c doesn't imbibe, so he had orange juice, but Daniel, Carter, and I hit the beer.

Before long, the beer hit _us_.

Now, I don't remember what happened next, but Teal'c assures me we all had a really, _really _good time. I figure he _had _to be right, as some of the ornaments and tinsel didn't make it on the tree. The next morning, Carter wound up with a shiny new pair of earrings and decorative accents hooked into her sweater. Thankfully she doesn't toss and turn in her sleep, since that might've hurt. But as amusing as her idea of holiday decorations was, it's nothing compared to the holiday spirit Daniel sported.

I'm not sure what possessed somebody--and I _hope_ it was Carter, not me--to braid strands of shiny tinsel into his hair.

Teal'c's not talking, which has me more than a little worried that it might have been me after all. Still, it's too bad Daniel didn't let me take a picture.

I could have made a _fortune_ off the nursing staff.

* * *

Author's Notes:  
I would _so_ buy that picture. 

On the wonderful news side of things, I passed my IC3 certifcation exams with flying colors, giving me 3 more college credits, bringing my single-semester total up to 18!

On _super-duper_ wonderful news side of things, the SG-1 LittleVerse, a fiction archive dedicated to Stargate SG-1 kidfics of all shapes and sizes, is now OPEN! Head on over to littleverse dot cleothemuse dot net to check it out!


	13. December 13th: Letter to Santa

**December 13th - Letter to Santa **by Cleo the Muse  
All Ages  
Gen, Drabble, Holiday (Christmas), Humor  
Warnings: Just Vala's typical harassment of a much-beleaguered archaeologist  
Episodes: Season Ten  
Synopsis: The AO Happy Place Advent Calendar challenge, in which each day of December (until Christmas), a new door is opened on the Advent calendar, and a picture prompt revealed.  
Word count: 200  
Status: Completed as of December 13, 2007

* * *

**December 13th - Letter to Santa**

Daniel looked at the sheet of paper in his hands, then cocked his head to one side and stared some more, as though the change in angle would make the words on the page say anything any differently.

"What?" Vala asked, trying to look innocent. Despite the childish ponytails she wore her hair in, she failed miserably. Daniel knew her _far_ too well to fall for it.

The archaeologist gave the former thief an incredulous look, one thick eyebrow quirked above the frame of his glasses. "A fur coat? A Mustang convertible?"

"_Light blue_ Mustang convertible," she corrected. "I had to research _all_ of these items on the list _very_ closely, as I couldn't be certain of the modern Tau'ri equivalents. I also want a yacht, the deed to--"

"I've read it," he interrupted, taking off his glasses. Dropping the paper onto his desk, he rubbed at his eyes tiredly and heaved a sigh. "I asked you to give me a list of things you wanted for your on-base quarters not a... a... a letter to Santa!"

"Not just _any _Santa," Vala corrected impishly. "Santa Baby." Tapping him on the cheek playfully, she left the office, humming the song.

* * *

Author's Notes:  
The song "Santa Baby", if you've never heard it, usually features a sultry female voice (originally Eartha Kitt) who asks for the following gifts: a sable, one of the most expensive types of furs (if there are any PETA members reading this, please don't throw paint on your monitors); a '54 convertible, light blue; a yacht; the deed to a platinum mine; a duplex--though I'm sure Vala would have updated this to a mansion; checks; "decorations" from the famous Tiffany & Co. jewelry store; and a ring (and she doesn't mean one "on the phone"). Cute song, and it perfectly suits Vala's materialistic, flirty façade. 


	14. December 14th: Candy Cane

**December 14th - Candy Cane **by Cleo the Muse  
All Ages  
Gen, Drabble, Holiday (Christmas), Humor  
Warnings: Mention of the 'J' word.  
Episodes: Season Three  
Synopsis: The AO Happy Place Advent Calendar challenge, in which each day of December (until Christmas), a new door is opened on the Advent calendar, and a picture prompt revealed.  
Word count: 200  
Status: Completed as of December 14, 2007

* * *

**December 14th - Candy Cane**

_Crunch._

_Slurp._

_Crunch._

Janet cringed. "Cassandra Fraiser! Eat that candy cane or throw it away!"

The young brunette took the red-and-white striped confection out of her mouth. "Oh, Mom!"

"'Oh, Mom'!" Janet mimicked. She'd had a long day at the Mountain today: SG-3 got into a scrap with some Jaffa, and SG-14 encountered a hostile... plant. Now that she'd finally gotten home, all she wanted was to sit down in her favorite chair for a few minutes and relax.

Cassie's determined racket was spoiling the mood.

"You know," Cassie began, "Uncle Jack told me there was a whole story behind candy canes."

"Oh he did, did he?" Janet asked, looking up at her adopted daughter, who sat in the kitchen across the way, perched on a stool with her homework spread across the counter in front of her. She vaguely remembered having heard the story about the candy cane as a child in Sunday school.

"If you turn it upside-down," Cassie explained, pulling the candy out again and turning it so that the curve pointed downward, "it makes the letter 'J'. You know what that stands for, Mom?"

"Jesus?" she guessed.

"'Jack'," Cassie corrected. "Isn't that just an _amazing _coincidence?"

* * *

Author's Notes:  
Jack's determined to teach that girl all kinds of stuff that isn't true! "Every kid must have a dog..." My cat would object. 


	15. December 15th: Holiday Party

**December 15th - Holiday Party **by Cleo the Muse  
All Ages  
Gen, Drabble, Holiday (Christmas), Humor  
Warnings: Brief mention of... um... the involuntary expulsion of bodily fluids  
Episodes: Season eight  
Synopsis: The AO Happy Place Advent Calendar challenge, in which each day of December (until Christmas), a new door is opened on the Advent calendar, and a picture prompt revealed.  
Word count: 200  
Status: Completed as of December 15, 2007

* * *

**December 15th - Holiday Party**

"Well," Daniel began, picking at the edge of the blanket. "There is _one_ good thing about being laid up in the infirmary."

"The sponge baths?" Jack teased, fiddling with a sterilized kidney dish.

"Uh, no." He frowned. "Will you stop playing with that? Somebody's probably puked in it."

The general immediately dropped the receptacle onto the bedside table and shoved his hands into his pockets. "Okay, I'll bite. What's so great about being laid up in the infirmary _this _time?"

"The base Christmas party. I have a good excuse for not going, now."

"Ah," answered Jack simply. He then reached out and pressed the nurse's call button.

"What are you doing, Jack?"

The door burst open and a troupe of base personnel entered the medical ward, bearing seasonal decorations, dishes of foodstuffs, and coolers of drinks. Sam and Teal'c entered last, the Jaffa carrying the large stereo he had purchased for his quarters while the colonel juggled a stack of CDs. The close confines of the infirmary were not suited for holding so many people, but like circus clowns in a car, they all managed to squeeze into the room anyway.

"We'll just bring the party to you," Jack grinned.

* * *

Author's Notes:  
Jack would NEVER have gotten away with that while Janet was there! "The man" or not, she'd have kicked his butt out the door... Brightman just didn't know any better, I guess. 


	16. December 16th: Mistletoe

**December 16th - Mistletoe **by Cleo the Muse  
All Ages  
Gen, Drabble, Holiday (Christmas), Humor  
Warnings: None  
Episodes: None  
Synopsis: The AO Happy Place Advent Calendar challenge, in which each day of December (until Christmas), a new door is opened on the Advent calendar, and a picture prompt revealed.  
Word count: 200  
Status: Completed as of December 16, 2007

* * *

**December 16th - Mistletoe**

As soon as Sam stepped through the door, she was attacked. Combat survival instincts took over, and her knee came up to teach the assailant a painful lesson even as she tried to turn her upper body away without dropping her armload of gifts. The other combatant was far too wily for her, and soon had her locked in a brief kiss.

The colonel was in "one of those moods", apparently.

"Sir?" she questioned warily.

"Mistletoe," he answered cheekily, pointing upward at the tiny sprig of greenery above the door. Rolling her eyes, Sam began to turn away, but caught a glimpse of motion outside the window.

It was Daniel, coming up the walk with a stack of presents in his arms.

"Uh, sir, you really shouldn't--"

"Don't warn him, Carter."

Shaking her head, Sam headed into the den to deposit her gifts under the tree. When she glanced at Teal'c, the smug look the Jaffa gave her indicated _he_ had been successful in staving off the colonel's "Christmas cheer".

The door swung open then, and Sam glanced up. From this angle, her view was blocked by the door, but her hearing was unaffected.

"Hi, Jack! What the...? Mmmmph!"

* * *

Author's Notes:  
Oh, that Jack and his wicked sense of humor... 


	17. December 17th: Santa's Elves

**December 17th - Santa's Elf **by Cleo the Muse  
All Ages  
Gen, Drabble, Holiday (Christmas), Humor  
Warnings: None  
Episodes: None  
Synopsis: The AO Happy Place Advent Calendar challenge, in which each day of December (until Christmas), a new door is opened on the Advent calendar, and a picture prompt revealed.  
Word count: 200  
Status: Completed as of December 18, 2007

* * *

**December 17th - Santa's Elf**

"Stop twitching, Jackson," Mitchell muttered. "Sharks are drawn to motion just as much as they are the scent of blood."

Glaring at his teammate, Daniel tried not to fidget, but he was getting more and more uncomfortable by the minute. "I'm going to kill Teal'c."

As the undisputedly oldest person currently living on Earth, Teal'c declared his intention to play Santa at the Christmas party held for the children of the SGC's civilian and military personnel. He then volunteered the other members of SG-1 to portray the rest of Santa's entourage.

Sam made for a cute Mrs. Claus. Vala looked positively _un_-angelic in her robe and wings. Cameron and Daniel were stuck as a matching pair of blue-eyed, brown-haired, six foot tall elves, and like all good Christmas elves, they wore short tunics belted at the waist and red-and-green tights.

Another military wife let her hand stray a little too close to his backside as she walked past, and Daniel turned toward his fellow victim. He was selfishly pleased to note that Mitchell's face was about as red as his felt.

"Think we can corner him in the parking lot?" Mitchell growled through his clenched teeth.

* * *

Author's Notes:  
The Real World kept me hopping yesterday, so I didn't have much time to sit in front of the computer. Here's yesterday's prompt today. (And today's prompt will follow shortly thereafter... I actually finished it before this one.) 


	18. December 18th: Christmas Gift

**December 18th - Christmas Gift **by Cleo the Muse  
All Ages  
Gen, Drabble, Holiday (Christmas), Kidfic (Little Sam), Smarm  
Warnings: None  
Episodes: None  
Synopsis: The AO Happy Place Advent Calendar challenge, in which each day of December (until Christmas), a new door is opened on the Advent calendar, and a picture prompt revealed.  
Word count: 200  
Status: Completed as of December 18, 2007

* * *

**December 18th - Christmas Gift**

It was getting close to midnight, and Sam was getting worried. When she'd talked to her dad on the phone last week, he promised he'd be home for Christmas.

"Like the song, Daddy?"

"Like the song, Sammy. Now go get your brother so I can talk to him."

"Love you, Daddy," she told him, then set the phone down on the kitchen counter and went to find Mark. Her brother grumbled, but put his comic book down and followed her out of the den.

Now it was Christmas Eve, and he still wasn't home. Sam bit her lip and stared at the clock, noting that only fourteen minutes remained until it was officially Christmas. Her mom had tried to send her to bed twice already, but gave up when Sam explained that Daddy _promised_ to be here by Christmas.

At two minutes 'til, the front door rattled, and Sam leapt to her feet. The door opened, admitting a cold blast of air and a pink-cheeked Jacob Carter. His arms were laden with brightly-wrapped packages, but Sam decided the best Christmas gift wasn't tied with a bow.

He was wearing Air Force blues and a smile for his daughter.

* * *

Author's Notes:  
Someone mentioned on the Little Stargate list that there don't seem to be very many kidfic stories with just Little Sam. Ta-da! 


	19. December 19th: Last Minute Shopping

**December 19th - Last-Minute Shopping **by Cleo the Muse  
All Ages  
Gen, Drabble, Holiday (Christmas), Humor  
Warnings: None  
Episodes: None  
Synopsis: The AO Happy Place Advent Calendar challenge, in which each day of December (until Christmas), a new door is opened on the Advent calendar, and a picture prompt revealed.  
Word count: 300  
Notes: Based on a true story. (Thanks, Cheryl!)  
Status: Completed as of December 19, 2007

* * *

**December 19th - Last-Minute Shopping**

Before he went home, Daniel spent a few minutes in the men's room at the mall, trying to calm his nerves enough to drive. While he was in there, he twisted around in front of the mirror, checking to make sure there wasn't a cosmic "kick me" sign on his back.

Sam had warned him about last-minute shopping, how it could be crazier than even the day after Thanksgiving, but since Daniel hadn't been on-world long enough to go shopping any time previously, he was stuck with going to the mall the week of Christmas. To his surprise, he'd had a rather successful trip... until the enormous Christmas tree in the center of the mall fell to the ground.

Santa, his elves, and the photographers ran, hurtling past screaming parents and their confused children. Mall-goers scattered and bolted for nearby stores, some even abandoning their shopping bags in their haste to escape. When the huge tree finally crashed down, it did so with a tremendous racket that sounded like a clap of thunder inside the mall.

The impact also jostled the gigantic gold ornaments that had been hung in the tree, sending those flying through the air and rolling across the floor. Daniel had to run inside the Discovery Store to escape the enormous bouncing ball that was chasing him, and as he stood inside the store panting at his narrow escape, a shelf full of stuffed animals chose that moment to collapse, pelting him with a furry safari.

Finally convinced his hands were no longer shaking, Daniel grabbed his bags and headed for the parking lot, keeping a cautious eye out for runaway carts or distracted drivers. There was no need to risk the chance he really _did _have a cosmic "kick me" sign on his back.

* * *

Author's Notes:  
He has one. Heck, even Michael Shanks calls Daniel the intergalactic whipping boy! 


	20. December 20th: Santa's List

**December 20th - Santa's List **by Cleo the Muse  
All Ages  
Gen, Drabble, Holiday (Christmas), Humor  
Warnings: None  
Episodes: None  
Synopsis: The AO Happy Place Advent Calendar challenge, in which each day of December (until Christmas), a new door is opened on the Advent calendar, and a picture prompt revealed.  
Word count: 900  
Status: Completed as of December 20, 2007

* * *

**December 20th - Santa's List**

George Hammond was in a good mood, knowing that once the SGC "closed" later that afternoon, he'd have seven whole days off to spend spoiling his granddaughters rotten. He still had paperwork to clear off his desk before he could take his intended mini-vacation, but with the extra energy he had, he was making short work of his to-do list.

Soon he was down to the day-to-day documents that required only his review, not his signature. Skimming through departmental reports, his eye fell on the personnel roster turned in from the front desk on Level 11. As the general in charge, he knew the names and faces of nearly everyone at the SGC, and took great pride in using the roster to test his memory.

Today, with the Christmas spirit having taken over, he had something else in mind.

_Sergeant Daniel Siler_, he read to himself, noting the oh-dark-thirty arrival time of the SGC's chief of maintenance. _Nice_, he decided, since Siler always kept his supply requisition forms neat and concise, and any time there was something in need of fixing--even something as seemingly-insignificant as a buzzing fluorescent tube--it seemed that the bespectacled sergeant was already there, taking care of it.

_Sergeant Walter Harriman_. _Definitely nice_. The white-haired technician was almost psychic in his ability to anticipate the general's needs, and had occasionally been called "Radar" after the eerily-similar clerk from _MASH._

_Airman Marianne Walker_. _Also nice_. The young woman always had a smile on her face, even though custodial services was not the SGC's most glamorous job. It was, however, every bit as necessary as Siler's in keeping the base running smoothly.

_Doctor Janet Fraiser_. For a brief moment, George debated marking the firebrand physician as "naughty", but just as quickly remembered who it was who handled physicals for the senior staff. She might never see the list, but the general wasn't willing to push it. "Nice" it was.

Humming "Here Comes Santa Claus" to himself, the general worked his way down the list, marking each name appropriately as he went. Most were "nice", which was no great surprise since nearly everyone at the SGC had been hand-picked for the assignment. A few were still marked "naughty", such as the mischievous Colonel Feretti.

It occurred to him after he marked "naughty" next to Colonel O'Neill's name that he hadn't seen any of the members of SG-1 on the roster. Flipping to the last page where the desk sergeant noted the names of all personnel who had signed into the base on a previous day but hadn't signed out, he found the three missing names at the top.

Teal'c was a definite "nice", and his name on the holdover list was because the Jaffa _lived_ on-base. Spotting the names of the team's two scientists wasn't terribly shocking either, though a little disappointing given that it likely meant they had each pulled an all-nighter.

_Captain Samantha Carter... nice._ She was a gifted scientist and one of the finest officers George had ever had the privilege to command, though a little green when it came to making command decisions herself. The general hoped that a few more years serving with Jack O'Neill would give her the necessary guidance she needed.

_Doctor Daniel Jackson... nice_. In fact, there were few who could out-do the young man when it came to being conspicuously polite, although he was known to get quite defiant if he felt his concerns weren't being properly addressed. Still, like Captain Carter, he was one of the most brilliant minds of his generation, and under Colonel O'Neill's tutelage, rapidly becoming a credit to the uniform he wore in solidarity with his military co-workers.

Returning to where he'd previously left off on his list, George went back to whistling his song until he was interrupted by a knock at the door. Summoning the caller in, he offered a warm smile up to Doctor Jackson, who cradled a file in his hands.

"These are the translations and analyses of the artifacts recovered by SG-11 on M43-288," the archaeologist announced, stepping up to the desk to hand the paperwork directly to the general.

"You didn't have to have this completed until after the holiday, son," George admonished gently, remembering how the young man hadn't signed out the previous night.

Daniel shoved his hands in his pockets and looked down, long hair briefly shadowing his eyes. "Well, I thought it would be best if I started fresh on something after I got back, rather than trying to pick up where I left off."

"I understand," he smiled. "Have a Merry Christmas, Doctor Jackson."

"You too, sir," Daniel answered in kind, heading for the door.

He didn't pull it completely shut behind him, though, which is why George heard the unmistakable voice of Jack O'Neill in the hallway outside the office.

"Well?"

"I told you he would be," the archaeologist replied smugly. "He's making his list and checking it twice."

"Naughty or nice?"

"Oh, you're _definitely _on the naughty list, Jack."

"Rats."

Chuckling to himself, Hammond flipped to the last page, then scratched out the "nice" next to Doctor Jackson's name and replaced it with "naughty". He, like so many others, had been taken in by the young man's guileless exterior, and had forgotten how much Doctor Jackson took after Colonel O'Neill at times.

* * *

Author's Notes:  
Hammond as Santa... I couldn't resist. 


	21. December 21st: Treats for Santa

**December 21st - Treats for Santa **by Cleo the Muse  
All Ages  
Gen, Drabble, AU, Holiday (Christmas), Kidfic (Little Danny)  
Warnings: None  
Episodes: None  
Synopsis: The AO Happy Place Advent Calendar challenge, in which each day of December (until Christmas), a new door is opened on the Advent calendar, and a picture prompt revealed.  
Notes: Set in the "All I Want" LD-verse, but reads fine without any knowledge of that series. I was going to stop at 20, but I was begged to keep going, SO...  
Word count: 300  
Status: Completed as of December 24, 2007

* * *

**December 21st - Treats for Santa**

A tiny crease appeared between the little boy's eyebrows. "But I thought we were supposed to leave Santa cookies and milk."

Jack and Sara O'Neill exchanged amused glances. "Well, that's what _most_ people do, Danny," Sara explained, "but it's an O'Neill family tradition to leave Santa something that will make him remember this house is special."

"My dad always insisted it be mince pie and brandy," Jack continued, squatting so he'd be closer to the height of his adopted son. "Those were his favorite holiday treats, and he said that Santa wouldn't forget whose house he was at if he got mince pie and brandy."

"What're those?"

"Mincemeat is mostly just a fruit and nut mix," Sara answered. "Brandy's a type of alcoholic beverage."

"Which means my dad never let me have any of it," Jack added, lower lip protruding in an exaggerated pout, and Danny giggled at his dad's theatrics. "Now, I like pecan pie and chocolate milk, so that's what we're gonna leave for him here."

Having only recently been a forty year-old genius with three doctorates, Danny was able to think faster than the average five year-old, and soon had the information processed and filed away in his capacious brain. "So we're supposed to leave your favorites for Santa so he'll remember us the next time?"

Jack chuckled and squeezed his shoulder. "You got it, kiddo. Now get your scrawny little butt in bed or Santa might forget there's a kid in this house."

Eyes widened with horror, the little scamp headed for his bedroom down the hall, but stopped before disappearing around the corner. "Shouldn't we leave him pizza and beer, then?"

Lips twitching, Jack choked out, "Good_night_, Daniel."

As soon as the bedroom door clicked shut, Jack and Sara burst into helpless laughter.

* * *

Author's Notes:  
Consider my arm sufficiently twisted into continuing. 


	22. December 22nd: Mittens

**December 22nd - Mittens **by Cleo the Muse  
All Ages  
Gen, Drabble, Holiday (Christmas), Humor  
Warnings: None  
Episodes: None  
Synopsis: The AO Happy Place Advent Calendar challenge, in which each day of December (until Christmas), a new door is opened on the Advent calendar, and a picture prompt revealed.  
Word count: 100  
Status: Completed as of December 25, 2007

* * *

**December 22nd - Mittens**

"Smart ass."

"Takes one to know one," Daniel smirked.

Giving his sleeve-covered rash a deliberate rub, Jack set aside the bottle of calamine lotion and opened his next early Christmas gift. Since it was from Carter, he was just _sure_ it would be a nice, normal, _sane_ gift.

Instead, it was a pair of bright red mittens.

"Carter?"

The major was all innocence. "Janet said you might need help avoiding scratching."

Giving her a rueful glare, Jack tore into the final box, discovering a roll of duct tape.

"This will ensure the mittens remain in place," Teal'c announced smugly.

* * *

Author's Notes:  
Yep, I thought it was time for another "gang up on Jack" story. 


	23. December 23rd: Music Box

**December 23rd - Music Box **by Cleo the Muse  
All Ages  
Gen, Drabble, Holiday (Christmas)  
Warnings: None  
Episodes: None  
Synopsis: The AO Happy Place Advent Calendar challenge, in which each day of December (until Christmas), a new door is opened on the Advent calendar, and a picture prompt revealed.  
Word count: 400  
Status: Completed as of December 25, 2007

* * *

**December 23rd - Music Box**

The Penombri were excellent craftsmen, but after three days of smiling and nodding at the many wares passed by him for inspection, Daniel was sick of all the jewelry, pottery, and other knick-knacks. The mission was supposed to have lasted only two days, ending the day before Christmas Eve, but a mud slide had covered the valley where the Stargate lay, leaving Daniel and SG-12 trapped until the local workmen could clear a safe path to the 'Gate and DHD. Now it was Christmas Eve, and Daniel--who had pitched in to help SG-12 because their own linguist came down with the flu--was missing his friends.

Every Christmas Eve for the last few years, the members of SG-1 had gathered at Jack's house to celebrate, and certain parts of their holiday routine were as regular as the clockwork pieces some of the local artisans had offered. He figured that by now, Sam had put in a Christmas CD, Teal'c was starting on his third helping of the honey-baked ham, and Jack was slipping whiskey into the eggnog and trying to convince Daniel to...

Only Daniel wasn't there, so Jack would have to miss out on trying to get him drunk--not that that ever took much effort _or_ alcohol to accomplish. He wondered if his friends were missing him just as much as he was them.

"Faracur Jackson?" began yet another Penombri craftsman, calling him by the title for which the nearest translation Daniel could determine was "spokesperson". It, like the strangely wispy figures of the locals, was yet another remnant of the humanoid race which had mixed with the Penombri after freeing them from the Goa'uld.

His wandering mind had caused him to miss whatever it was the craftsman said after calling his name, but the first tinny notes from the wind-up music box the Penombri man held caught his attention. Daniel was more surprised than the artist was when his eyes prickled hotly with tears.

The craftsman jabbered at him worriedly, and Daniel waved off his concerns. "I'm fine," he answered thickly. "Where did you hear that song?" He only half heard the explanation about Major Elmore having hummed the tune so the man could carve it onto the metal cylinder that rotated and struck the notes in sequence. Instead, Daniel quietly sang the familiar final line.

"...For the holidays, you can't beat home, sweet home."

* * *

Author's Notes:  
Since I'm such a sucker for happy endings, we'll just say that SG-12 showed up shortly to tell Daniel the path to the 'Gate was clear and they could all go home in time for Christmas. 


	24. December 24th: Teddy Bear

**December 24th - Teddy Bear **by Cleo the Muse  
All Ages  
Gen, Drabble, Holiday (Christmas), Kidfic (Little Jack)  
Warnings: None  
Episodes: None  
Synopsis: The AO Happy Place Advent Calendar challenge, in which each day of December (until Christmas), a new door is opened on the Advent calendar, and a picture prompt revealed.  
Word count: 300  
Status: Completed as of December 26, 2007

* * *

**December 24th - Teddy Bear**

Daniel crept quietly into the bedroom, hoping he wouldn't disturb the figure sleeping beneath the bedcovers. In the faint illumination offered by the nightlight next to the door, he could see that his young charge was not resting easily. Apparently in the throes of yet another nightmare, he had bunched the covers in his small hands and twisted himself into an awkward position. It had been two months since Jack pushed Daniel out of the way of an incoming beam of light, and the now child-sized colonel was still having the grown-up version's nightmares.

About a week ago, Jack had sat down at the breakfast table and grumpily declared that he was a full bird colonel in the United States Air Force and _therefore_ did not need to be acting like the kid he so much resembled. Daniel had listened with growing trepidation and skepticism as the miniaturized officer asserted his independence and vowed that he would no longer sneak off to Daniel's room after having a nightmare. He was almost _fifty_, for cryin' out loud, not _five_.

Right.

Still, Jack stubbornly stuck to his guns. Even though he woke them both with screams of terror from images no child should ever have to live with, he refused to seek the solace he so desperately needed. Finally, while out Christmas shopping with Sam, Daniel had hit upon the perfect solution to Jack's nightmares and refusal to let Daniel offer comfort.

Carefully straightening Jack's limbs, Daniel slid the teddy bear next to the boy's chest. Instinctively, Jack curled his arm around the plush figure and rubbed his cheek against its soft fur. The lines of tension around his eyes and mouth eased, and the young version of Daniel's best friend fell into a deep slumber.

Mission accomplished, Daniel smiled to himself.

* * *

Author's Notes:  
I've never before written a Little Jack with Daniel as the guardian... I think I like it! 


	25. December 25th: Plate of Cookies

**December 25th - Plate of Cookies **by Cleo the Muse  
All Ages  
Gen, Drabble, Holiday (Christmas)  
Warnings: None  
Episodes: None  
Synopsis: The AO Happy Place Advent Calendar challenge, in which each day of December (until Christmas), a new door is opened on the Advent calendar, and a picture prompt revealed.  
Word count: 200  
Status: Completed as of December 26, 2007

* * *

**December 25th - Plate of Cookies**

A hand sneaked out toward the plate of cookies, but was sharply struck before it could snag a prize. Yelping, Vala jerked her wounded limb back and thrust out her lower lip in a pout.

"But Mitchell just--"

"Mitchell's done his part," Daniel answered, eyebrows lowering. "You haven't."

"But I almost--"

"No."

"But just a few more--"

"You know the rules. No."

Crossing her arms, Vala sulked. Just then, the timer went off in the kitchen, and she leapt up from the couch and raced to get it. Moments later, she was using a silicone gripper to pull a tray of M&M cookies out of the oven and triumphantly putting it on the top of the range. Brandishing a nylon spatula, she quickly transferred the treats to the waiting plate, turned off the oven, then returned to the living room in triumph.

"Now you can," Daniel smiled when her plate was placed on the coffee table next to his offering of oatmeal raisin, Jack's peanut butter, Sam's chocolate walnut, Teal'c's snickerdoodle, and Cameron's macaroon.

Vala snatched up a cookie from another of the plates, then happily joined the rest of the team next to the Christmas tree.

* * *

Author's Notes:  
That's all folks! I hope everyone had a safe and happy holiday. 


End file.
